SUMMER IN JERSEY - BLUEBERRY CREAM CHEESE PIE 

Blueberry wine, blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins, blueberry pie. No matter how you like your blueberries, we got em! One town in New Jersey, Hammonton, is known as the blueberry capital of the world! This town is located in Atlantic County, and 80% of our blueberries come from farms in that county. Hammonton actually has a festival every year dedicated to the blueberry, known as the Red, White and Blueberry Festival! 

How fitting, since we are not only Jersey proud, but American proud. This is the festival that won me a blue ribbon for my blueberry cream cheese pie. 

Hammonton has great soil, geographic location, and great weather to grow blueberries. Berries love acidic soil, and Atlantic County has it. New Jersey has approximately a 79 million dollar blueberry industry! Not bad for our little state!

Blueberry season begins around mid June and lasts till about August. There are plenty of areas that grow blueberries here, but Atlantic County produces the most.

The best way to store your blueberries after bringing them home is in the refrigerator, but not in any of your crisper drawers. Air does not circulate enough and they will go bad. You might be able to keep them up to a week in the refrigerator once picked. But the best way to keep them as long as possible, is to give them a bath in a vinegar and water solution as soon as you get them home. Dry them completely. Then put them in a new container lined with paper towels. You can also flash freeze them singly on a cookie sheet, then store them in the freezer. If you are picking your own blueberries, they must be completely blue. If the berries have red or green near the stem end, do not pick them. 

And now I want to share with you my blue ribbon, blueberry cream cheese pie. This pie one me a blue ribbon at the Red, White and Blueberry festival in Hammonton. I was so proud. My family loves this pie. I make it every year. It is well worth the effort to make. 

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie 

What you will need: 1 (8 oz.) package of Philadelphia cream cheese, softened - 1/4 cup of sugar - 1/4 cup of sour cream - 1/2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract - 1 baked 9" pastry shell - 1 cup of fresh blueberries - 1/2 cup of water - 1/2 cup of sugar - 2 Tbsps. of cornstarch - 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice - 1 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries - powdered sugar - dash of cinnamon - dash of nutmeg

How to make: Combine first 4 ingredients, and beat at medium speed of an electric mixer, 1 minute or until smooth. Spread mixture into baked pastry shell, cover and chill for 1 hour. Place 1 cup of the blueberries in a saucepan, add water, and bring to a boil. Mash the blueberries with a potato masher. Reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Combine 1/2 cup of sugar and the cornstarch, then stir into the cooked berry mixture. Bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in lemon juice, cool. Place 1 1/2 cups blueberries over the cream cheese mixture, then pour the glaze over top. Chill 2 to 3 hours. To serve: sprinkle powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg over pie. And last but not least, sit and enjoy this beautiful piece of summer!